


there is something going on with the painted lady

by WickedBee



Series: for want of a nail or three [1]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Butterfly Chloé Bourgeois, F/M, Flirting, Fox Luka Couffaine, Hawkmoth still exists, Kwami Swap, Miraculous Holder Chloé Bourgeois, Misunderstandings, Not Canon Compliant, Protective Luka Couffaine
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-21
Updated: 2020-11-21
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:08:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,075
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27651101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WickedBee/pseuds/WickedBee
Summary: [Hmm, yeah, that's just great, you are doing amazing baby foxy.]Luka doesn't yelp. He just, very quietly, stills.He is Blivet, the Fox hero. And there is only one person capable to speak in his head.
Relationships: Chloé Bourgeois & Nooroo, Chloé Bourgeois/Luka Couffaine
Series: for want of a nail or three [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2021834
Comments: 5
Kudos: 39





	there is something going on with the painted lady

**Author's Note:**

> I have many ideas for a Kwami Swap, and here is one! There are notes at the end if you are confused with their aliases names.
> 
> [Projected thoughts]
> 
> _Thoughts or feelings kept only to the character_
> 
> Single word on italics : emphasis

[Hmm, yeah, that's just great, you are doing amazing baby foxy.]

Luka doesn't yelp. He just, very quietly, stills. Looking around, he sees that Mister Bug and Tortuga have the akuma handled, and Lady Noire and Daymare are doing a quick work of the sentimonster. His role is to give support, and only fight when necessary. Mister Bug seems to think that is rarely; the Painted Lady disagrees very loudly. Ducking quietly on an alley, he calls to her in his thoughts. [Hey, Lady, are you aware you spoke that out?]

A few moments after, she reaches out, poking around his vision, seeing with his eyes. It doesn't feel any less weird, no matter how many times she does it. When she speaks, her voice is smooth and light as a lullaby. [Which part? You done already?]

[So, I didn't imagine you flirting with me earlier on?]

She snorts. [You did imagine it. I wasn't talking with you.]

[Quite hard to imagine someone to whom 'baby foxy' could apply too.] Luka's tail twitches when he repeats the pet name she gifted him. He curls it around his midriff, running his hands through the soft white fur. His hero's transformation doesn't have a real tail, only stripes of fabric, but Luka's finds this one comforting, after such a long time. It is good to know he has backup, for how long he accepts the Painted Lady's bargain. And the fox spirit in him does like to accept her bargain. From a trickster to another, he sees a part of himself on ordeals, acting from the shadows.

[Well, I stand correct. I was talking with your butterfly, Captain Penrose, that's baby Foxy. Little Foxy died just another day so I had to throw another one in your way. ] 

That's an interesting tidbit. He wasn't aware the Painted Lady had assigned butterflies to people. It was a bit endearing, to know she had named the one she sent on his way. Luka wonders if she also named the ones used on Daymare or Tortuga; Mister Bug and Lady Noire consider it too dangerous to trust on her, but the other heroes have accepted her deals more than once. 

Luka uses his better reflexes as an excuse to jump on the rooftops. From here, he sees the battle is already finished and the akuma finalized. Nodding to the other heroes, he jumps through the city. It's time to find a safe space to detransform. He is thinking about which of his haunts he should hit when the Painted Lady talks to him again. [It is ridiculous to think I was talking to you. I wouldn't call you 'baby.'] Her tone is dismissive and Luka thinks that would be it, she would recall the butterfly. 

Luka, however, is now interested. Cocking his head in a way he knows she won't see, but will feel alongside his confusion and curiosity through their bond, he asks. [Oh? Why is that?] 

[For starters, you are too sexy to be called baby, it doesn't fit. I mean, yeah, you look attractive as Blivet, there is a cute but entrancing vibe, yeah. But as Captain Penrose? It is not cute, it's _hot damn._ You look _amazing_ on these.] Captain Penrose, his not-akuma form, was admittedly, pretty good looking, if a bit menacing. Maybe it was the pirate captain coat, with a big hat to match, in dark violet instead of his usual orange and white color scheme. Admittedly, he still had these colors on his outfit, but the violet was more mesmerizing. The mask was changed, longer and larger to cover his face, tipping up from his nose to imitate a real fox and giving him a more vulpine appearance. The sword on his hip, on the opposite side of the flute, did sweeten the whole ordeal. 

[I do, don't I?]

On the other side of this connection, he feels a tickle of pride. He has the feeling if she was on his eyesight, she would be preening. [I told My other point, I wouldn't interrupt a battle to start flirting. It's ridiculously unprofessional. And risky.] Luka hums and uses the Primrose's power to make himself invisible. He ducks in an alley near the docks, from which he could walk away to his home. 

He can see her point. It could be incredibly distracting to have another person chatting on his head; it is already a bit strange to have her see through his eyes and occasionally give him commands. [Ah. I see. Then we can do it now, right sweetheart? Since the battle is finished and all.] 

[That's…!]

It is fun to tease her. Luka feels her embarrassment and can imagine her muttering her favorite word, ridiculous, absolutely ridiculous. [Hmm, maybe you don't like sweetheart, dearest? Perhaps, darling will suffice? Beautiful?] 

[Chances are that you have seen me and not given more than five minutes of your attention. Don't call me beautiful; it's like you are trying too hard, Penrose.]

He has to explain that is not it. It is not about her physical appearance, but about her heart. The problem, however, is to make her believe it. Luka has a way with music, but not with words. Especially since he hasn't heard the melody of her heart. Reaching out with the right words is hard, but this is what she needs to understand, not his songs. 

The beauty of sharing a part of his mind is that he only needs to force out his thoughts for the Painted Lady hear. She needs the words, but he needs the melody, so he doesn't feel guilty to take out his flute and play his feelings through song while trying to find the right words. [I cannot help but find you beautiful: you help us heroes, despite all the drama surrounding your miraculous and doesn't ask for any thanks at all. No one outside a selected few knows of you and your work.] Luka hopes she understands his feelings this way. Maybe, the music background to his words is helping. [A person like this is pretty beautiful, I think.]

[This was the result of nothing more than my bad decisions and selfishness coming to haunt me and I am in too deep to abandon ship now.] Like trying to play two different songs at the same time, at the same time. He hasn't time to feel disappointed with himself, because she is talking still. [Thanks anyway.]

[You are welcome, honey.] 

[Ugh, you know what? You are too suave as Captain Penrose, Blivet. _Bye_.]

Luka waits for that to be it. It is more than he normally gets out of her. His flute is already on hand and he is ready to see the butterfly fly out of it. The instrument stays the same silver color of his transformation. Luka waits.

And waits.

[...I thought you said bye?]

From the other side of the line, a frustrated voice answers. [Hang on, this crap is hard when you are sick and sleep deprived.]

[You are sick?]

[What, my voice isn't giving it away? Fevers are terrible, let me tell you. Nooroo was against transforming, I had to wear him down. Now come on, Foxy baby, time to go-]

He cannot even tease her about this. Luka remembers the few fights he had while ill and he doesn't wish it for anyone. It has to be harder on the holder of the Butterfly because he knows she was in all the five akumas of the past days, and if she isn't resting… [You shouldn't transform when you aren't well, Painted Lady. You have to take care of yourself.]

[I can do my job, alright? You don't need to worry about quality, I have it handled.]

Luka growls at her. It isn't about the quality of her work; it is about her _working._ The words, when they come out, are more than a bit exasperated, but the bite is there. [Sweetheart, I am worried about _you_.] _Stop putting yourself in trouble; it's not worth it;_ _It_ ' _s bothering me to have you not taking care of yourself._ And lastly, _You are now dear to me, and I want to help but I cannot and please this is going to drive me crazy._

The Painted Lady wheezes and there is _something_ on their connection before she snatches it away. [...stop being so damn smooth, it's throwing me off. Baby, time to rest, get going.] 

And this time, an orange butterfly with black and white spots flies from his flute, off to Paris. It is quite ingenious of her to hide her magic butterflies among the normal painted lady ones, so common in their city. It is quite disingenuous how she thought he didn't notice she made no promises to take care of herself. See if Blivet accepts her deals this week.

"Come on, Trixx, let's rest."

As he calls off his transformation, his Kwami jumps to hide in the pockets of his hoodie. "You know kit, it is very refreshing to see when you humans are honest with yourselves."

"Is it? Do you think she will be okay?"

"Sure is. She will be fine, Nooroo is a mother hen with his holders."

* * *

"Dark wings, fall. Ugh, I hate being sick." Chloé says as she sniffles and gets out of her closet. 

Nooroo follows her closely behind. If you hate being sick, you should gather your forces instead of using the miraculous, Master. I told you it drains your reserves."

She did get more tired, but the blonde woman was so tired these days, it didn't make a difference. Falling on the bed, she retrieves a thermometer from her nightstand, arranging it under her arms "Yeah, not when I can get back at Hawkmoth's ugly ass. Also, are all the Fox holders, so, so-"

"So ridiculous…?" It comes out as knowing instead of nervous, as it should be. This holder of his didn't keep him afraid; it was safe to be in her presence.

"Yes!" Smacking one palm against the other, Chloé starts to gesticulate wildly. "Ugh, Blivet was so sappy! 'I care about you, sweetheart', as if he and the other heroes wouldn't take you from me in a blink!" Nooroo pushes a water bottle in her lap and she gladly drinks from it to alleviate her sore throat. "Well, I care about you Nooroo, and you aren't going back to them until we catched that egghead. It's too much of a security risk for you to go and Hawkmoth get you again."

"Thank you for being worried about my safety, Master. But the feelings from Blivet were sincere, not mere words. I thought you knew it, since they made you happy." 

"Happy? What happiness? I am utterly distressed, the nerve of him…!" She sneezes on her elbow, looking disgusted at the result. "I am so gross, right now. Beautiful, as if." Taking out the thermometer Chloé frowns. 38.3°C. Still high. 

"Perhaps a bath will make you feel better?"

"You're right. Just let me order room service first. Mushrooms, grapes or something else for you?"

Nooroo quietly considers his options. Mushrooms were the best to recharge his powers, but he liked grapes too and they would suffice most of the time. But Chloé liked to give him a taste of whatever else she was having, and he has become quite enamoured with some foods. Popcorn was amazing.

However, Gabriel did get a Hawkmoth still without his miraculous, and this one didn't have a pattern he could identify and was more dangerous yet than before. "Mushrooms, please. Will you rest after, Master?"

"Sure thing, Nooroo. And who calls others honey in this day and age? Have you ever had honey? The taste is so overwhelming!"

"Wasn't it because of the butterfly? It was quite sweet of you to encourage it."

Chloé whirls, pointing her finger straight at him. The move messes her balance and it takes two steps for her to take it back. "Because it needs positive reinforcement! As do you. It is very reassuring to have you by my side, Nooroo. It makes me... _grateful,_ for your help."

Privately, the Kwami agrees with Blivet's assessment. Chloé could be very sweet, nearly overwhelming his feelings with her own, with the aid of her words. He hopes his holder can understand the other better after her health is recovered.

Nooroo is in a winning streak of having his hopes attended.

**Author's Note:**

> Blivet: Fox! Luka hero name; it's the name of an optical illusion of a fork: does it have two or three teeth?  
> Captain Penrose: Akumatized by Chloé! Fox! Luka; there are two optical illusions named Penrose, a 3D staircase in which you cannot go higher, despite always going up and two sides of three triangles, in which the bigger figure makes a triangle like image.  
> Painted Lady: Butterfly! Chloé alias; a species of butterfly common in Eutope, Asia and North America.
> 
> Luka: *flirts*  
> Chloé: laying it thick too much? *also keeps thinking about it later*
> 
> Chloé: *is ill*  
> Luka:  
> Luka: I feel betrayed. No more deals with you. Go rest. No fights for you this week.
> 
> Also thanks for the Discord peeps for food ideas for Nooroo!


End file.
